A resident of Sevastopol, a city in the Crimean peninsula unilaterally annexed by Moscow, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of espionage for Ukraine, the Russian FSB security service reported, as quoted by France Press.
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, cases of sabotage, treason, terrorism and espionage, which usually carry heavy sentences, have been widespread in Russia as a means of curbing dissent.
Accused of contacting Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service “on his own initiative,” the Sevastopol resident, a Russian citizen born in 1979, is said by investigators to have passed information and photos to Ukraine about the position of Russian military units and fleet in Crimea , BTA reported.
He was found guilty of treason and espionage and sentenced to 15 years in prison, the FSB said in a statement quoted by Russian media.
Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine more than two and a half years ago, thousands of people have been punished, threatened or imprisoned in Russia for their opposition to the conflict.